Tag Archives: How

How do construction companies make earthquake proof buildings

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By using the best raw materials and putting in place the best design you can build real classy and strong buildings but when it comes to constructing earthquake proof buildings it is not just the design and the raw materials that can steal the show. It is perhaps the technology which is used to build earthquake proof buildings. As a matter of fact, there is nothing such as earthquake proof buildings because if there comes a powerful quake, not the strongest of so called “earthquake proof” buildings will be able to survive. They can pretty well manage a few slight strokes of quake but not a mighty one.

In fact, no building can ever survive a powerful stroke. Buildings normally carry their own weight and are firmly grounded on the earth. So if there is any shift in the plates of the earth it will eventually have its impact on all the buildings no matter how much earthquake resistant they are and if there is a huge shift in the plates it will bring down all that stands on its surface.

The primary reason why buildings made today can’t take even the slightest quake stroke is they being over-weight. People tend to add rooms inside the apartments and add stuffs that increase the overall weight of the building. This proves to be quite fatal when a major quake jilts the place. The tremor may not be that high but the disaster turns out to be lethal. So the basic question is what a construction company can do to build buildings that can take sizable tremors and can still stand strong.

The answer to this is to try to have a stronger base and use the best of materials. One must ensure that the entire weight of the building lies in its foundation and as long as the foundation is strong and healthy it can take on the strongest tremors. There are some ancient literature that talks in length of how to build earthquake resistant building. They talk in length of the kind of materials to be used and the design to be made to come up with a building that can stand strong even after a heavy tremor.

There are different schools of engineering which teaches how to make buildings that can take on the quake and still stand strong. Though it also talks about its limitations but it is certainly a possibility to construct quake resistant buildings but definitely not a quake proof one. Industry experts believe that it has to do a lot with the design and the kind of materials used while constructing a building. There are also few who think contrary to this belief and therefore there are various tests made to check which will work better in case of a quake. Many also believe that precast concrete to be used to build quake resistant buildings as it has shown satisfactory results with seismic performance. In a nutshell, one can conclude that for the time being there is nothing that we can call it as earthquake proof buildings. All that we can do is construct buildings with stronger foundation and using precast concrete to make it quake resistant.

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How are tower cranes put together

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Construction sector is all about heavy equipment and working with technology. You always need to make use of technology to put things straight and get your work done. In case of building high rise, it is quite a challenge for the companies and the challenges come in many ways and many forms. Setting up a tower crane is one such challenge that construction companies experience when they are dealing with tall rises. It also becomes a challenge when they do not have efficient men doing the job or people who do not know how to do it the right way. Let us first understand the utility of a tower crane and why it is so important to have them in a construction site. When you are dealing with tall buildings, it is not possible to carry stuffs like steel, concrete, tool and other building materials to that height by any human. You therefore need the work to be done using a tower crane which has the ability to pick those heavy items right up where it is needed.

Now let us understand what a tower crane is made of. The bottom of the crane is attached to a large concrete pad which is used to give adequate support to the crane. The bottom is then connected to the mast. The mast is the stuff that gives the appropriate height to the crane. Now on the top of the mast, you will find the slewing unit attached to it which helps the crane to rotate. There are many other things attached to the slewing unit such as a boom, the machinery arm and the counterweights. You have a long horizontal jib (projecting arm of a crane) on the top of the slewing unit. This part of the crane carries the load and maneuvers with the help of a trolley that runs along the jib.

We also have a shorter horizontal arm which is used to contain heavy items like large concrete counterweights. The winch motor that plays an instrumental role in lifting the weight lies in the machinery arm. Now we move to something important. In order to erect a tower crane, the crew needs to first assemble a 40-foot mast that contains a slewing gear and 2 vertical mast sections. Once that is done the next thing that needs to be assembled is the jib and the machinery section. The horizontal members and then placed on the assembled mast sections with the help of a mobile crane. Once that is done the counterweights are added. For the crane to grow, it must be done one mast section at a time. A top climber is used by the crew that fits easily between the top of the mast and the slewing unit.

In order to balance the counterweight, the crew has to hang a weight on the jib. Once that is done, the slewing unit is detached from the top of the mast. This results in the hydraulic ramming the top climber and pushes the slewing unit by 20 feet. This gap of 20 foot is then occupied by a 20-foot mast. This is how the height of the crane increases.

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